Elevating and rotating device



Dec. 20, 1932. R. PARKS 1,891,832

ELEVATING AND ROTATING DEVICE Filed June 23, 1930 2 She ets-Sheet O T 1T 3 f5 I3 13 if Q 8 'll 5 I 7 13 lo II I "i v I. H E @3 $5 I 58 ,46 4 II I r v f l I E- v 6 /8 45' O I i 553% 2'7 Us! TI INVENTOR Hoes/qr EPARKS.

Dec. 20, 1932. R. F. PARKS ELEVATING AND ROTATING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet2 INVENTOH v ROBERT F. PARKS Filed June 23, 1950 ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 20, 1932 ROBERT F. PARKS, F COMPTON, CALIFORNIA ELEVATINGAN D ROTATING DEVICE Application filed June 23,

This invention relates to an elevating and rotating device, by means ofwhich one stand of pipe is unscrewed from another. This device isparticularly advantageous around an oil well during either the drillingor producing operations. The prime object of my invention is to providea novel elevating and rotating device which attaches to the top of thestand of pipe to be unscrewed, and is actuated by the upward movement ofthe blocks which support the device. I

Another object is to provide a novel elevating and rotating device ofthe character stated which operates through a gear means between theblocks and the elevator encircling the pipe, thereby rotating the pipeto screw or unscrew the same.

Still another object is to provide a device of the character statedwhich is attached to the elevating blocks, and which will also serve tosupport the pipe while it is being removed from the point where it wasunscrewed from the lower stand.

Other objects, advantages, and features of invention, may appear fromthe accompanying drawings, the subjoined detailed description, and the apended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of my elevating androtating device in operative position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation, with parts in section, of mydevice.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal, sectional view of the rotating screw, andthe rotating means co-operating therewith.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the weight.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the bridge, and of the rotating screw.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates therotary table in which the lower stand of pipe 2 is secured. The stand ofpipe 3 rises above the rotary table and is secured to the stand 2 by athreaded joint. After this joint has been loosened by the tongs, or thelike, my device becomes operative to unscrew the joint and remove thestand 3.

My elevating and rotating device 4 com- 1930. Serial No. 463,161.

prises a bail 5 which is secured to a block 6. The block 6 is positionedat the bottom of the bail 5 and the purpose thereof will be furtherdescribed. The travelling blocks 7 are at tached to the bail 5 by meansof an eye 8 which depends from the blocks.

A bridge 9 is secured between the bail 5 adjacent the upper end thereof.In this bridge I journal a pair of sheaves 1011. The purpose of thesesheaves will be further described. An actuating shaft 12 depends fromthe bridge 9 and is non-rotatably held in the bridge by some suitablemeans, although under strain, it is desirable that the shaft shallrotate in order not to break any of the co-acting parts. To accomplishthis purpose, I provide a drum 13 on the top of the shaft 12, and thisdrum is engaged by a pair of brake shoes l l14. The brake shoes grip thedrum tightly so that the drum and the shaft can only rotate when a veryhigh torque is exerted upon the shaft. The brake shoes 1 i14 are pressedtogether by suitable springs 15-15 and 1616. The shaft 12 is cut with adouble thread as. shown at 17, and these threads are'engaged by membersso as to rotate the pipe stand 3, as will be subsequently described.

The shaft 12 extends into a sleeve 18 and moves up and down in thesleeve during the operation of the device. To the lower end of thesleeve 18 there is pivotally secured a yoke 19 and a pair of links 202Ofit over the yoke 19. The lower ends of the links 2020 are attached toan elevator 21, which elevator engages and grips the upper end of thepipe stand 3. The elevator 21 may be of any usual p, and well knowndesign, and the detailed construction thereof forms no part of thisinvention.

A pipe section 22 is suitably attached to the upper end of the sleeve18, and this pipe section extends upwardly around the shaft 12. To theinside of the pipe section 22 I secure a pair of superposed femaleclutch members 23-24. (Jo-operating with the clutch member 23, is a maleclutch member 25, and similarly a male member 26 co-operates with theclutch 24. The clutch members 26 are each'provided with grooves whichengage the left and right hand threads respectively, of the shaft 12.Thus the member 25 will constantly rotate in a right hand directionwhile the clutch member 26 will rotate in a left hand direction.Whichever member of the pair 25-26 engages its corresponding femaleclutch member, that is the direction in which the pipe section 22 andthe sleeve 18 will rotate.

It is evident that one of the members 25 or 26 must be held-out ofengagement at all times. That is, only one must engage its correspondingfemale clutch member. To accomplish this, I surround the pipe section 22with a rotatable ring 27. This ring is provided withupward and downwardextending cam slots 2829 respectively. A pair of clutch releasingfingers 3031 are positioned in the pipe section 22, and surround theshaft 12. These releasing fingers have outwardly.

extending pins 3233 respectively which enter the cam slots 2829respectively. Thus as the ring 27 is rotated, one of the clutch engagingfingers 30 or 31 is moved into engagement with the corresponding maleclutch member 25 or 26 to hold said male member out of operativeengagement, as

shown in Figure 3. The other member will be free to engage its femaleclutch member, and thus rotate the pipe section, sleeve and attachedparts either to the left or to the right. By the above arrangement, itis impossible to have both of the clutches simultaneously operable.

The sleeve 18 is guided through the blocks 6 and a ball bearing 34 ismounted in the top of said block, and the bottom of the pipe section 22engages the ball bearing in the lowered position of said section, andthus minimizes the frictional resistance between the block and the pipesection.

To return the sleeve 18, pipe section 22 and attached parts to theirraised position. I provide a counter weight 35 which is slidably mountedon the bail 5. and the counter weight surrounds the sleeve 18. A pair ofchains,

cables, or the like. 3637 are secured to the weight 35, pass over thesheaves 1011 respectively, and then extend downwardly and are attachedto the races of a ball bearing 38. The ball bearing 38is mounted in afitting 39 which is secured to the top of the pipe section 22.

' engage recesses 45-46 in the bail.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The blocks 7 are lowereduntil the elevator 21 can engage the upper end of the pipe stand 3. Theclutches 25 or 26 have been previously arranged so that the rotation ofthe sleeve 18 will be counter clockwise. Now, by pulling upwardly on theblock 7, the bail 5, bridge 9 and shaft 12 will also be pulled upwardlyrelative to the sleeve 18, pipe section 22, and the clutches therein.This relative movement of the clutch and the threads in the pipe willcause the engaging clutch to rotate and also carry with it the pipesection, sleeve, the links 20 and the elevator 21. Since the elevatortightly grips the top of the pipe stand 3, it will unscrew the same fromthe stand 2.

The block 7, bail 5 and attached parts are held against rotation becauseof. the spaced cables which encircle the sheaves in the travellingblock. As soon as the pipe stand 3 has been unscrewed, the operator cancontinue to raise the pipe the required amount and move it to one sideof the derrick, or any place desired. When the pipe stand 3 has beenremoved to its desired place of storage, the counter weight 35 islatched in its raised position until the next stand has been engaged.Then it is released and will drop into its lowermost position as shownin Figures 1 and 2, and the device is ready for the next operation.

The counter weight 35 .is slightly heavier than the combined weights ofthe elevator, links, yoke, sleeve 18. pipe section 22 and the clutchassemblies. The reason for this is that the counter weight must raiseall of these in order to prepare the device for its next rotatingoperation. The threads 17 on the shaft 12 are of sufficient length sothat the proper number of turns is imparted to the elevator 21 in orderto unscrew the pipe stand 3.

A stout coil spring 47 is set in a recess in the block 6 and this springbears against the ball bearing 34. The purpose of this spring is torelieve the shock when the elevator 21 engages the collar on the top ofthe pipe stand 3 when this pipe stand is being elevated.

Having described my invention. I claim:

1. An elevating and rotating device for pipe comprising travellingblocks, a bail suspended from the travelling blocks. a threaded shaftmounted in the bail, a sleeve extending over the shaft, means on thesleeve engageable with the threads'of the shaft wherebv said sleeve isrotated as the blocks are raised. an elevator and links attached to theelevator and to said sleeve, and counter weight means attached to saidsleeve whereby said sleeve is drawn upwardly over the shaft when thepipe is disengaged from the elevator.

2. An elevating and rotating device for pipe comprising travellingblocks, a bail suspended from the blocks, a threaded shaft mounted inthe bail, a sleeve extending over said shaft being formed with right andleft hand threads, one of said clutches engaging the right hand threadsand the other the left hand threads, disengaging means for the clutches,an elevator, and means suspending said elevator from the sleeve.

- 4. An elevating and rotating device fdr pipe comprising travellingblocks, a bail suspended from the travelling blocks, a bridge secured tothe bail, a threaded shaft suspended'from the bridge, a sleeve extendingover the shaft, a pair of clutches in the sleeve, said shaft beingformed with right and left hand threads, one of said clutches engagingthe right hand threads and the other the left hand treads, disengagingmeans for the clutches, an elevator, and means suspending said elevatorfrom the sleeve, and counter weight means attached to the sleeve wherebysaid sleeve is raised when there is no work in the elevator.

5. An elevating and rotating device for pipe comprising travellingblocks, a bail sus-.

pended from the blocks, a bridge in the bail, a threaded shaft suspendedfrom the bridge, a sleeve extending over the shaft, said shaft beingformed with right and left hand threads, a pair of clutches in thesleeve, one of said clutches engaging the right hand, and the other theleft hand threads, means engaging said clutches whereby either may beheld inoperative, an elevator adapted to grip the pipe, and linksattached to the elevator and to said sleeve.

6. An elevating and rotating device for pipe comprising travellingblocks, a bail suspended from the blocks, a bridge in the bail, athreaded shaft suspended from the bridge, a sleeve extending over theshaft, said shaft being formed with right and left hand threads, a pairof clutches in the sleeve, one of said clutches engaging the right hand,and the other the left handthreads, means engaging said clutches,whereby either may be held inoperative, an elevator adapted to grip thepipe, and links attached to the elevator and to'said' sleeve, a counterweight, means attaching said counter weight to the sleeve, said counterweight being adapted to pull the sleeve upwardly when there is no workin the elevator.

7. An elevating and rotating device for pipe comprising travellingblocks, a bail suspended from the blocks, abridge on the bail, athreaded shaft suspended from the bridge, brake means gripping saidshaft, a sleeve extending over the shaft, said shaft being formed withright and left hand threads, a pair of clutches in the sleeve, one ofsaid clutches engaging the right hand, and the other the left handthreads, means whereby on of said clutches is held inoperative while theother is active, an elevator, and means attaching said elevator to thesleeve.

8. An elevating and rotating device for pipe comprising travellingblocks, a bail suspended from the blocks, a bridge on the bail, athreaded shaft suspended from the bridge, brake means gripping saidshaft, a sleeve extending over the shaft, said shaft being formed withright and left hand threads, a pair of clutches in the sleeve, one ofsaid clutches engaging the right hand, and the other the left handthreads, means whereby one of said clutches is held inoperative whilethe other is active, an elevator, and means attaching said elevator tothe sleeve, a counter weight, sheaves journaled in the bridge, chainsattached to the counter weight and extending over the sheaves, and meansattaching said chains to the sleeve whereby said sleeve is pulledupwardly when there is no work in the elevator.

9.- An elevating and rotating device for pipe comprising travellingblocks, a bail suspended from the blocks, a bridge on the bail, athreaded shaft suspended from the bridge, brake means gripping saidshaft, a sleeve extending over the shaft, said shaft being formed withright and left hand threads, a pair of clutches in the sleeve, one ofsaid clutches engaging the right hand, and the other the left handthreads, means whereby one of said clutches is held inoperative whilethe other is active, an elevator, and means attaching said elevator tothe sleeve, :1 counter weight, sheaves journaled in the bridge, chainsattached to the counter weight and extending over the sheaves, and meansattaching said chains to the sleeve whereby said sleeve is pulledupwardly when there is no work in the elevator, and latch means on the.counter weight whereby said counter weight is held in raised positionand is inoperative to elevate the sleeve. 7

10. An elevating and rotating device for pipe, comprising travellingblocks. a bail suspended from the blocks, a bridge in the ball, athreaded shaft suspended from the bridge, said shaft being formed withright and left hand threads, a sleeve extending over the shaft, a pairof clutches in the sleeve, one of said clutches engaging the right hand,and the other the left hand threads of the shaft, a pair of clutchreleasing fingers in the sleeve, said fingers engaging each of theclutches, a ring encircling the sleeve, said ring having cam-slotstherein into which the outer ends of the clutch releasing fingersextend, said cam slots beingso arranged that one of the clutch releasingfingers engages a clutch while the other is disengaged from the secondclutch, an elevator, and means attaching said elevator to the sleeve.

11. An elevating and rotating device for pipe comprising travellingblocks, a bail suspended from the blocks, a bridge in the bail, athreaded shaft suspended from the bridge, said shaft being formed withright and left hand threads, a sleeve extending over the shaft, a pairof clutches in the sleeve, one of said clutches engaging the right hand,and the other the left hand threads of the shaft, a pair of clutchreleasing fingers in the sleeve, said fingers engaging each of theclutches, a ring encircling the sleeve, said ring having cam slotstherein into which the outer ends of the clutch releasing fingersextend, said cam slots being so arranged that one of the clutchreleasing fingers engages a clutch while the other is disengaged fromthe second clutch, an elevator, and means attaching said elevator to thesleeve, a counter weight slidably mounted on the bail, a pair of sheavesjournaled in the 'bridge, chains extending over the sheaves, one end ofthe chain being attached to the counter weight and the other end to thesleeve whereby said sleeve is moved into raised position when there isno work in the elevator.

In testimony whereof, I afix my signature.

ROBERT F. PARKS.

